The Teacher's Daughter
by GreenWiggle2018
Summary: Mr. Grouper meets a young fish named Freddi at the orphanage and decides to adopt her as his daughter.
1. Meeting Freddi

**Chapter 1: Meeting Freddi**

One Friday in Bubbletucky, the school week was drawing to a close.

"Have a good weekend, guys!" Mr. Grouper said as his students left the building for the final time that week. "I'll see you on Monday!"

But as he watched the Guppies swim out the door to go home to their families, Mr. Grouper couldn't help but feel a little sad.

"Gee, those parents must be always so happy to see their children come home to them." he said as he locked the door on his way out. "I really wish I could have my own kid that could come home to me."

But little did Mr. Grouper know that his wish was about to come true. Later that evening, he was enjoying a quiet evening at home reading a book by the fire when the telephone rang.

"Hello?" Mr. Grouper said as he answered.

On the other end was Miss Angela Fin, a friend of his and the owner and caretaker of the local orphanage.

"Hi, Dennis." said Angela. "I wanted to make sure you remember that you're coming to the orphanage to read to the children tomorrow like we planned."

"Of course." said Mr. Grouper.

"Great." said Angela. "I'll see you then!"

"You too." said Mr. Grouper.

The two then hung up, and Mr. Grouper continued reading his book. Afterwards, he decided to turn in for the night. The next day, he got in his car and drove to the Bubbletucky Orphanage. He soon arrived, parked his car, and went inside. When he got inside, he saw a little yellow fish with orange fins, blue eyes, and wearing a newspaper hat playing with a stuffed sea lion, which had a smaller version of the little fish's hat.

"Oh no, Nero!" the fish said upon seeing Mr. Grouper. "A horrible monster!"

Mr. Grouper chuckled and decided to play along. He turned himself green and raised his fins as if they were claws.

"Raaawr!" he said. "Come here, I'm gonna eat ya! I'm bigger than you and I'm higher in the food chain! Get in my belly! Come on!"

The little fish squealed happily and darted off, and Mr. Grouper chased her. Eventually, the two bumped into Angela, who looked very similar to Mr. Grouper in terms of shape, except that she was purple, had eyelashes, and wore tortoise-shell glasses.

"Oh, uh, hi, Angela." said Mr. Grouper as he returned to his regular orange color.

Angela giggled.

"Hello, Dennis." said Angela. "I see you've met Freddi."

"Yes, I have." said Mr. Grouper.

"You know this guy, Miss Fin?" Freddi asked.

"Yes, Freddi, I do." said Angela. "He's here to read to you and the other children. Why don't you go join the others in the main room?"

"Okay!" Freddi said as she left.

Soon, Freddi and all the other children were gathered in the main room, and Mr. Grouper read "Corduroy" by Don Freeman. By the time he was finished, he found that Freddi was fast asleep in his lap, clutching Nero.

"Aww..." Mr. Grouper said quietly.

Angela then gently scooped Freddi up.

"It is getting close to nap time." said Angela in a soft voice.

"Alright, I guess I should be going then." said Mr. Grouper.

"Bye, Dennis." said Angela.

Mr. Grouper bid goodbye to Angela and left the building. As he was driving home, he couldn't stop thinking about Freddi.

"That Freddi kid seems like a sweetheart." said Mr. Grouper. "It'd be nice to have her come live with me."

But then, he had an idea.

"Well, Lord, you've done it again." said Mr. Grouper. "You've found a way to fill that empty space in my heart."

He soon arrived home and went inside the house. He knew that there was an empty room in that house that he had no idea what to use it for. He had considered many times to use it as an auxillary storage room, a home gym, and a mancave. However, this time, he knew for sure what it was going to be. A quick measurement of the room found it to be just the right size for a bedroom.

"Perfect." said Mr. Grouper.

He then got back in his car and drove to the local Lowe's. When he arrived, he went inside and immediately rushed to the paint department, where he began looking at all the different colors they had available.

"Gee, this is going to be hard." said Mr. Grouper as he went up and down the aisles.

An employee then saw Mr. Grouper and approached him.

"Excuse me, sir, can I help you?" the employee asked.

"Yes, actually." said Mr. Grouper. "I plan on adopting a child, and I was wondering if you had any recommendations for a color that would be suitable for a kids' bedroom."

"I do indeed." said the employee. "Right this way."

The employee took Mr. Grouper over to a shelf, where he removed a can of paint. The label identified the color as Bahama Green.

"How about this one?" the employee asked.

"Perfect." said Mr. Grouper. "I'll take it!"

"Excellent choice, sir." said the employee.

Mr. Grouper bought the paint and got back in the car. He then drove to the furniture store, where he bought a white twin-sized bed, then to the local Bed Bath & Beyond, where he bought a yellow reversible duvet set with black, white, and gray hearts on it and a collapsible toy box with a flip-top lid, then back home, where he went out to the shed and his backyard, came back out with paint rollers and a paint tray, went inside, and started painting the walls in that empty room with the Venice Green paint he had bought. Once that was completed and after the paint had dried, he set the bed and the toy box up in the room. Then, he set the duvet up on the bed. When he was finished with that, he stood back to admire his handiwork.

"There we go." said Mr. Grouper. "Now there's just one more thing left to do."

But then, he noticed that it was starting to get late.

"But I'll take care of that tomorrow." said Mr. Grouper.

He then made himself a grilled ham and cheese sandwich with some onion rings on the side and a bottle of sweet tea for his dinner. After his dinner, he watched some TV, then went to bed. As he dozed off, he couldn't help but feel excited for the events yet to come.

**End Of Chapter 1**


	2. Adoption Day

**Chapter 2: Adoption Day**

The next day, Mr. Grouper drove to the orphanage after having a ham and cheese omelette with toast for his breakfast. When he arrived, he went inside and to Miss Fin's office, where he knocked on the door.

"Come in." said Miss Fin, unaware of who was knocking.

Mr. Grouper then went into the office, and Miss Fin was totally surprised.

"Dennis?" she asked. "What are you doing here?"

"It's about Freddi." said Mr. Grouper. "I'd like to take her home."

Miss Fin smiled.

"Why, certainly." she said as she gave him the necessary paperwork and a pen. "Just fill this out and I'll go get her ready."

"Alright." said Mr. Grouper.

While Mr. Grouper got to work filling out the paperwork, Miss Fin went over to the dormitory and found Freddi reading a book on her bed.

"Freddi?" asked Miss Fin.

"Yes, Miss Fin?" Freddi responded.

"Today's your lucky day, sweetheart." said Miss Fin. "You're being adopted as we speak!"

"By who?" Freddi asked.

"It's a surprise." said Miss Fin. "Gather your things and come to my office."

"Okay." said Freddi.

Miss Fin left, and Freddi wasted no time gathering what belongings she had. While she was doing that, she looked over at Nero, who was propped up against the pillow.

"Who do you think is adopting us, Nero?" Freddi asked.

Since he was nothing more than a stuffed toy, Nero couldn't really talk, so Freddi moved his flippers in a shrugging motion.

"Me neither." said Freddi. "Do you think we should just do what Miss Fin said and go down to her office?"

Freddi moved Nero's head in a nodding motion.

"Me too." she said.

After Freddi finished packing her stuff, she grabbed Nero and went down to Miss Fin's office. Just as she was nearing it, she heard Mr. Grouper say "There. All done.", and her eyes and mouth shot wide open.

"I **know** that voice!" said Freddi.

When Freddi entered the office, she found Mr. Grouper waiting for her.

"Mister Dennis?!" Freddi asked.

Mr. Grouper smiled and nodded. Freddi burst into tears and hugged him.

"Daddy..." Freddi said.

"Aww, Daddy's here, pumpkin." said Mr. Grouper as he returned the gesture.

"Well, everything's all set." said Miss Fin as she finished finalizing the paperwork.

"Great." said Mr. Grouper.

Eventually, Freddi stopped crying.

"Ready to go to your new home, Freddi?" Mr. Grouper asked.

Freddi nodded.

"Alright, let's go." said Mr. Grouper.

With that, the two went out to Mr. Grouper's car and drove to Mr. Grouper's house. When they arrived, and Mr. Grouper showed Freddi her new room, which she immediately loved.

"Sorry that there's not a lot of toys in the toy box right now." said Mr. Grouper. "But maybe later today or some point next week, I'll take you to the toy store to get some."

"If it's all the same, I'm happy just to have Nero for now." said Freddi.

"Oh, okay." said Mr. Grouper. "But if you do think of any toys you'd like, just let me know."

"Got it." said Freddi.

"In the meantime, I'll get us some lunch." said Mr. Grouper. "You can get settled in."

"Alright." said Freddi.

Mr. Grouper left, and Freddi soon got herself situated. Once she was, she went downstairs and found Mr. Grouper sitting in a chair reading the newspaper.

"Um, Daddy, why aren't you in the kitchen?" Freddi asked.

"I ordered a pizza." said Mr. Grouper. "Is that okay?"

"Yeah, that's fine." said Freddi.

"Alright." said Mr. Grouper. "Would you like to read the funnies?"

"Sure." said Freddi.

Mr. Grouper then removed the funnies page from the newspaper and gave it to Freddi, who read it and laughed as she did. In no time, the pizza arrived and they began dining. As they ate, Mr. Grouper spoke with Freddi.

"Say, Freddi, I've got some friends of mine that I think you'll really like." said Mr. Grouper.

"Who are they?" asked Freddi.

"You'll meet them tomorrow." said Mr. Grouper.

"Oh, okay." said Freddi.

After lunch, Freddi went up to her room and spoke with Nero.

"Well, here we are, Nero." she said. "We're home. Do you think you'll like it?"

She moved Nero's head in a nodding motion like she did earlier.

"I think so too." said Freddi.

A while later, Freddi heard Mr. Grouper calling her down to dinner, which was tater tot casserole. After dinner, they watched TV until Freddi started getting sleepy.

"Aww, is someone sleepy?" Mr. Grouper asked.

Freddi nodded, and Mr. Grouper carried her upstairs to bed and tucked her in.

"Would you like a bedtime story?" Mr. Grouper asked.

Freddi nodded again, and Mr. Grouper read "Madeline" by Ludwig Bemelmans. By the time he was done, Freddi was sound asleep.

"Goodnight, sweetie." Mr. Grouper said as he kissed her.

"Goodnight, Daddy." Freddi said. "I love you."

"I love you too, pumpkin." Mr. Grouper said as he left the room.

Mr. Grouper then saw how late it was and decided to turn in for the night himself. However, about an hour later, he was awakened by the sound of his door being burst open and Freddi swimming rapidly into his bed.

"Freddi, what's wrong?" Mr. Grouper said.

"I saw a scary shape on the wall!" Freddie whimpered.

"Don't worry, Daddy will check it out." said Mr. Grouper.

He then got out of bed and went to Freddi's room, where he looked at the shape on the wall, then out the window, and it turned out to be nothing more than an owl perched on a branch.

"Well, I'll be darned." Mr. Grouper said.

He then went back to his room.

"It was just an owl, Freddi." said Mr. Grouper. "Nothing to be scared off."

"Oh, okay." said Freddi. "Though, can I still sleep with you?"

Mr. Grouper smiled.

"Of course." he said.

"Thanks, Daddy." Freddi said with a yawn.

Mr. Grouper got back into bed with Freddi and the two were soon off to sleep, awaiting what the next day would bring them.

**End Of Chapter 2**


	3. Freddi Meets The Guppies

**Chapter 3: Freddi Meets The Guppies**

The next morning, Freddi was still asleep when she smelled something.

"Something smells good." Freddi said.

She grabbed Nero and went downstairs, where she saw Mr. Grouper making breakfast at the stove.

"Good morning, sunshine." said Mr. Grouper.

Freddi then saw the flames from the stove. A look of terror appeared on her face.

"Daddy, that box is on fire!" Freddi said.

Mr. Grouper chuckled.

"It's called a stove." said Mr. Grouper. "I'm making you breakfast."

"Oh, okay." said Freddi. "What're you making?"

"Is scrambled eggs and toast okay?" Mr. Grouper asked.

"Sure." said Freddi.

Soon, breakfast was ready, and the two began eating.

"So, Daddy, you said I'd be meeting some friends of yours today." said Freddi. "Where are we going to meet them?"

"At school." said Mr. Grouper.

Freddi was confused.

"What's "school"?" she asked.

"It's a place where you go to learn things like math, science, art, and other stuff." said Mr. Grouper. "Didn't the orphanage have a classroom or something like that?"

"Yeah." said Freddi. "I guess that's kind of like school. But I've never actually been to the kind of school you're talking about."

"Well, today, that's going to be fixed." said Mr. Grouper.

"Oh, okay." said Freddi in a nervous tone.

"What's wrong, honey?" asked Mr. Grouper.

"I'm scared." said Freddi.

"Don't worry, sweetheart." said Mr. Grouper. "I'll be with you the entire day. In fact, I actually work at the school."

"Oh, cool." said Freddi.

Just then, Freddi had an idea.

"Can I bring Nero?" asked Freddi.

"Of course." said Mr. Grouper with a smile.

"Thanks, Daddy." said Freddi.

After breakfast, Freddi helped Mr. Grouper with the dishes, then she went upstairs to brush her teeth while Mr. Grouper got to work making a lunch for both himself and Freddi. He packed himself a ham sandwich with lettuce and mustard with pretzels and some dried mango. For Freddi, he made a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with carrot sticks and an apple. Both lunches he packed with a can of lemonade and a packet of Otis Spunkmeyer-brand chocolate mini brownie bites. Once the lunches were made, and after Freddi came back downstairs, they left. Meanwhile, at the schoolhouse, Molly, Gil, Goby, Deema, Oona, and Nonny arrived. With them was their new friend Zooli, who had dark skin, dark brown eyes, indigo hair kept in a bun with a blue scrunchie with a blue seashell on one side, and, like Oona, a full-pieced tail, except hers was pink with a swirl pattern. When Molly tried to open the door, the handle wouldn't budge.

"That's weird." she said. "It's locked."

"You're right, that is odd." said Gil.

Deema than gave Nonny her backpack.

"Hold my bag." she said.

Deema then swam until she was about ten feet away from the door.

"What is she doing?" Zooli asked.

"I don't know." said Oona.

Deema then let out a battle cry and charged towards the door.

"Oh boy, I know where this is going." said Nonny.

Deema then slammed her body against the door, but instead fell backward onto the ground.

"Well, that could've gone better." she said.

"Are you okay, Deema?" asked Molly as she and Zooli helped Deema up.

"Yeah, I'm fine." said Deema.

Just then, Mr. Grouper's car pulled up and he came out, followed by Freddi.

"Well, you took your time, didn't you?" Deema asked.

The other Guppies shot looks of agitation at Deema.

"What?" Deema asked.

"Was that really necessary?" Gil asked.

"I don't know, was it?" Deema responded.

"Um, I didn't ask you if that was really necessary." said Gil.

"Actually, you did." said Deema.

"It was a rhetorical question." said Gil. "Don't you know what a rhetorical question is?"

"Yes, I do." said Deema. "I believe it's a..."

"No, no!" said Gil. "That was a rhetorical question, too!"

Gil growled out of frustration and face-palmed.

"Alright, you guys, that's enough." said Nonny. "Besides, Mr. Grouper probably has a reason why he's here later than usual."

"Yes, I do." said Mr. Grouper as he unlocked the door.

Soon, the doors were finally opened and they all went inside, and it was then that Molly noticed Freddi.

"Who's that?" she whispered to Gil.

"I don't know." Gil whispered back. "But we might be finding out soon."

Once the kids were all seated, Mr. Grouper spoke up.

"Some of you may have noticed that we have a new friend with us today." said Mr. Grouper.

Mr. Grouper then called Freddi to his side.

"Everyone, this is Freddi." said Mr. Grouper. "She'll be joining our class today."

"Alright, new student!" cheered Gil.

"But why was she in your car with you?" Molly asked.

"I was just getting to that." said Mr. Grouper. "Not only is she our new student, but she's also my new daughter. In other words, I adopted her."

"Aww, that's so sweet." said Oona.

"H-hello, everyone..." Freddi stammered.

"Hello, Freddi." the Guppies chorused.

"It's nice to meet you all." Freddi said.

"It's nice to meet you, too." said Molly. "I'm Molly, and this is Gil, Goby, Deema, Oona, Nonny, and Zooli."

"Nice names." said Freddi.

"Your name is nice, too." said Gil.

Later, the kids were playing, and while the Guppies all played Duck Duck Goose, Freddi just played by herself with Nero, which the Guppies took notice of.

"Why isn't Freddi playing with us?" asked Goby.

"Yeah, doesn't she know how to play Duck Duck Goose?" asked Gil.

"Lemme ask." said Nonny.

Nonny then went over to Freddi.

"Hi, Freddi." said Nonny. "I like your stuffed sea lion."

"Thanks, Nonny." said Freddi. "I've had him since I was a baby."

"That's nice." said Nonny. "But that's not why I came over here. I came to ask why you're not playing Duck Duck Goose with me and the others. Do you not know how to play? If that's the case, you can join us and we'll teach you."

"Oh no, I know how to play." said Freddi. "I played it with the other kids at the orphanage. It's just that..."

"Yes?" Nonny asked.

Freddi tried to think of something to say, but came up for broke.

"Oh, never mind." said Freddi.

"Uh, okay." said Nonny.

Nonny then went back to the other Guppies.

"So?" Molly asked.

"She didn't say." said Nonny.

"Maybe she's just shy." said Gil.

"Yeah, that could be it." said Zooli. "But maybe we shouldn't pry her like this."

"Zooli's right." said Molly. "Besides, today's her first day, and I don't think it's right to ask her so many questions she might not know how to answer."

"Indeed." said Goby.

Later that day, it was time to outside, and the Guppies all paraded out of the door to the playground. Freddi, however, stayed behind. This caused a little bit of concern for Oona as she and the other Guppies went outside, and she went over to her.

"Freddi, why don't you want to go outside with me and the others?" Oona asked.

"Um, it's nothing, really." said Freddi.

Mr. Grouper then came over to them.

"I'll take care of this, Oona." he said. "You go on and join the others."

"Oh, okay." said Oona, who turned to Freddi. "When you do feel like joining us outside, don't be afraid to do so."

"Okay." said Freddi.

Oona then joined her friends outside as Freddi watched. Freddi then sighed. Mr. Grouper invited her to come sit down with him.

"What's wrong, Freddi?" Mr. Grouper asked. "Why don't you want to go out and play with the other children?"

Freddi sighed, knowing it was no use in keeping her feelings inside.

"I've never played with other kids like those before." she finally managed to say. "I'm worried what they might think if I don't know how play the games that they play! What if I screw up and they laugh at me?!"

Tears were forming in Freddi's eyes as she said this, and she began crying.

"Aww, baby..." Mr. Grouper said as he hugged Freddi. "They won't do that. They're very nice and kind and will gladly teach you how to play their games."

Freddi looked up at Mr. Grouper with watery eyes.

"Promise?" she asked.

"I promise." said Mr. Grouper.

Freddi soon calmed down, and Mr. Grouper held out his fin, which she gladly took. The two then went outside, and the Guppies were excited to see Freddi.

"Hey, Freddi!" Molly said. "Come and play Duck Duck Goose with us!"

Freddi looked at Mr. Grouper, who nodded and winked at her.

"Okay, I'll be right over!" Freddi said.

Freddi then went to the Guppies and sat down on the ground.

"So, how do you play?" Freddi asked.

"It's a cinch." said Molly. "We just sit in a circle like this, and one of us taps on our shoulders saying "duck", and whoever gets picked as "goose" has to chase the picker."

"Sounds like fun." said Freddi.

Soon, the game began, with Gil as "it". He went around labeling Molly, Goby, Deema, Oona, and Nonny as "duck", but then he got to Freddi, that's when he said "Goose!". Subsequently, Freddi chased Gil while laughing. The Guppies laughed along with her. Mr. Grouper smiled as he watched them play. Later, it was time to go home, and as Mr. Grouper and Freddi drove him, Freddi spoke to him.

"You were right, Daddy." she said. "Those kids are really nice! I really hope I get to hang out with them more often!"

"Oh, believe me, you will." said Mr. Grouper.

Soon, they arrived home, and after having ham steaks with macaroni and cheese and baked potatoes for dinner, they relaxed by the fire until bedtime. As Freddi snuggled under her blankets with Nero, her mind was crowded with happy thoughts about spending time with her new friends.

**End Of Chapter 3**


	4. Dinner & Sleepover At Zooli's

**Chapter 4: Dinner & Sleepover At Zooli's**

The next day, the kids were having lunch.

"So, what did everyone bring for lunch today?" asked Molly. "I brought an egg salad sandwich with Bugles, a couple of clementines, a bottle of 1% milk, and some Golden Oreos."

"I brought a peanut butter and honey sandwich, some Fritos, some grapes, a box of apple juice, and a package of Swiss Rolls." said Gil.

"I brought a bologna and cheese sandwich, some Sour Cream & Onion Pringles, an apple, a box of grape juice, and an Oatmeal Creme Pie." said Goby.

"I brought a turkey sandwich, some BBQ Pringles, a pear, a box of orange juice, and a package of Fancy Cakes." said Deema.

"I brought some leftover pasta salad, some celery sticks, an orange, a bottle of fat free milk, and some graham crackers." said Oona.

"I brought a turkey sandwich, some carrot sticks, some dried kiwi, a bottle of chocolate milk, and a Chocolate Chip Creme Pie." said Zooli.

"I brought a peanut butter, banana, and jelly roll-up, some Original Pringles, some dried apricots, a bottle of strawberry milk, and a brownie." said Freddi.

"Sounds delicious." said Molly. "What about you, Nonny?"

Nonny pulled a frozen cheeseburger out of his lunchbox.

"A Freeze Burger." said Nonny.

Everyone laughed.

"Are you really going to eat that?" Freddi asked.

Everyone laughed harder.

"Of course not, silly!" said Nonny. "I'm going to eat what I really brought; some leftover macaroni and cheese, some Fritos Scoops, some dried papaya, a bottle of water, and a blondie."

"Yummy." said Freddi. "Though, what's a blondie?"

"It's like a brownie, except it's made with white chocolate." said Molly.

"Yummy." said Freddi.

After lunch, the kids were outside at recess, with Molly and Gill playing in the sandbox, Goby on the slide, Deema on the swings, Oona and Nonny playing on the jungle gym, and Zooli and Freddi on the seesaw.

"Say, Freddi, I told my dad about you last night." said Zooli. "And they said that I should invite you over to our house on Friday for dinner and a sleepover. Would you like to come?"

"Oh, boy, would I!" said Freddi. "Of course, I'll ask my Daddy."

"Alright." said Zooli.

Later that afternoon, it was time to go home, and as Mr. Grouper and Freddi drove home, Freddi told Mr. Grouper about Zooli's invitation and asked if she could go. Mr. Grouper smiled.

"Of course you can." said Mr. Grouper. "In fact, I think that's a great way to bond with one of your new friends."

"Great!" said Freddi. "Thanks, Daddy!"

"No problem." said Mr. Grouper.

But then, Mr. Grouper thought of something.

"You'll need a sleeping bag for the sleepover." said Mr. Grouper. "I know where we can get one."

He then drove to the sporting goods store. When they arrived, they went inside and straight to the camping supplies section, where Freddi chose a blue sleeping bag with a tie-dye pattern and a matching pillow.

"Good choice." said Mr. Grouper.

They paid for the sleeping bag and continued on their way home. As a special treat, they stopped at Chick-Fil-A for dinner, where Mr. Grouper had an 8-count Grilled Nuggets with large Waffle Fries and a large Coca-Cola while Freddi had a four-count Nuggets with a small Waffle Fries and a small Dr. Pepper. After they had their Chick-Fil-A, they went home, where they relaxed by the fire again until bedtime, and this time, Mr. Grouper read "The Little House" by Virginia Lee Burton. As Freddi slept that night, she felt excited about her upcoming sleepover with Zooli. Sure enough, Friday afternoon came, and Mr. Grouper drove Freddi and Zooli to Zooli's house.

"Thanks for giving me a lift home, Mr. Grouper." said Zooli.

"My pleasure." said Mr. Grouper.

They soon arrived at Zooli's house, which looked like it could've been from the future.

"Wow!" said Freddi to herself. "That is one nice house!"

"Have a good time, sweetie pie!" said Mr. Grouper as Freddi and Zooli got out of the car. "I'll see you tomorrow!"

"Bye, Daddy!" Freddi said as Mr. Grouper drove off.

Zooli and Freddi then went up to the house and went inside, where Freddi heard "Listen To The Music" by The Doobie Brothers playing.

"Wow, this is a groovy song." said Freddi.

"Thanks." said Zooli.

Freddi then saw three older male Guppies on the couch. Every one of them had the same skin tone and eye color as Zooli, except that their eyes were round like any other Guppie (well, besides Oona, that is). Plus, they were the exact same height, had their jet black hair in dreadlocks, and had tails that had squares on them. The only difference between the three was that their tails were in different colors. The first had a light orange tail with darker orange squares, the second had a blue tail with darker blue squares, and the third had a red tail with darker red squares. They were playing a game of cards.

"Got any eights?" the boy with the red-square tail asked the boy in the blue-square tail.

"Go fish." said the boy with the blue-square tail.

"Who're those three?" Freddi asked.

"Those are my three older brothers, Elliot, Greg, and David." said Zooli. "They're triplets and in Fourth Grade."

"Nice" said Freddi. "Which is which?"

"Elliot's the one with the orange-square tail, Greg's the one with the blue-square tail, and David's the one with the red-square tail." said Zooli.

"Ah, nice." said Freddi.

It was then that the three boys noticed their sister and her friend.

"Oh, hey, Zooli!" said Greg.

"And welcome, Freddi." said David.

"How do you know my name?" Freddi asked.

"Zooli's told us about you." said Elliot.

"Would you like some help with your stuff?" asked Greg.

"No thanks, I got it." said Freddi. "But thanks for asking."

"No problem." said Greg. "By the way, Zooli, Dad's getting Chinese for dinner, and he wanted to know what you'd like."

"Beef and broccoli." said Zooli.

"Alright." said Greg. "What about you, Freddi?"

Elliot handed Freddi a menu and she looked it over. Soon, she made her decision.

"I'll just have chicken dumplings." said Freddie.

"You got it." said Greg.

Greg texted all this to their father. While he was doing that, Freddi noticed a Jamaican flag on the wall and an area rug in the same pattern on the floor.

"Wow." said Freddi. "Are you guys from Jamaica?"

"Well, we're of Jamaican descent." said David. "But, yeah, we get what you're saying.

"Nice." said Freddi. "Buy the way, where was that music coming from when me and Zooli first walked in?"

"I'll show you." said Zooli.

Zooli then went over to a shelf where a smart speaker was set up.

"Google, play "Radio Gaga" by Queen." said Zooli.

"Okay." the speaker said. "Playing "Radio Gaga" by Queen."

Then, said song began playing.

"Whoa." said Freddi. "So you just tell it what kind of music you want to hear and it'll play?" asked Freddi.

"Yup." said Greg. "There's also one in the kitchen."

"Nice." said Freddi.

Just then, Elliot had an idea.

"Hey, Freddi, wanna see something cool?" asked Elliot.

"Sure." said Freddi.

"Okay, follow us." said Elliot.

Elliot, Greg, David, and Zooli then took Freddi upstairs and into a room. Inside the room were two big brown leather chairs in front of an electric fireplace and shelves that were filled with records. In addition, on the walls were framed photos and posters of many different bands, such as The Beatles, The Monkees, The Doors, The Who, The Rolling Stones, The Romantics, The Doobie Brothers, Queen, ABBA, and The Guess Who. There were also photos and posters of some solo artists, like Rick Springfield, Bryan Adams, Eddie Money, and John Mellencamp. There was also a table with a record player and two speakers set up on it under the window.

"What's this room?" Freddi asked.

"This is Dad's music room." said Zooli. "He likes to come in here and listen to his favorite bands."

"Yeah, he also lets us come in here and listen." said Greg. "In addition, we also like to use this room as a place to do our homework."

"Well, they do, anyway." said Zooli as she jabbed her thumb at her brothers. "I like to come in here to just sit and listen to the music by the fire."

"Wow." said Freddi. "Your dad must really like music."

"Yeah." said Greg. "He worked part-time at a record store a friend of his parents, which means our paternal grandparents, owned. Plus, he was introduced to all this different music when his parents would play it on their radio all the time when he was a kid."

"Nice." said Freddi. "Say, are you guys rich or something?"

"Sort of." said Zooli. "Why did you ask?"

"Well, I've heard that those smart speakers are really expensive." said Freddi. "How are you able to afford it, and this really neat house?"

"The thing is, Dad's a graphic designer." said David. "A really good one, too."

"Yeah, companies pay him large sums of cash to design logos." said Greg. "He also makes his own logos and sells them online."

"Neat." said Freddi.

Just then, Freddi thought of something.

"Say, you don't seem to talk about your mom." she said. "Is she still around?"

"Oh, yeah, she's still alive." said Greg. "She doesn't live with us."

"Why?" Freddi asked.

Zooli then hung her head.

"I really don't wanna talk about it." said Zooli.

"Oh, okay." said Freddi.

"No, Zooli, it's okay." said David. "We're right here."

"Yeah." said Elliot.

"Oh, alright." said Zooli with a sigh.

Zooli then turned to Freddi.

"The reason my mom doesn't live with us, and the reason my family moved to Bubbletucky is because, well, she and Dad got divorced last month." said Zooli. "And I'm still getting over it."

Freddi was shocked.

"Why?" Freddi asked.

"Well, you see, when Mom and Dad first got married, everyone thought that they were going to be living happily ever after, but at some point, Dad started receiving letters and phone calls saying that he was behind on paying his credit card bills even though he had clearly paid them." explained Greg. "Later, he found out that Mom had been stealing money from him to buy expensive clothes and accessories for herself."

"I guess you could say that Mom basically married Dad for his money." said Elliot.

"Yeah." said Zooli. "And according to Dad, he doesn't want to be with a gold digger, so that's why they got divorced, and we moved here because this is actually where Dad was born and raised."

"Oh, nice." said Freddi. "But do they stay in touch still?"

"Yeah, they do." said Greg. "Because despite that gold digger stuff, they still like each other."

"It's nice that they still like each other." said Freddi.

"Yeah, it is." said Zooli.

Just then, another male Guppy entered the room. This one was much older than Zooli, her brothers, and Freddi. Plus, he had his hair, which was the same color as Zooli's, in a mop-top style and wore a white short-sleeved button-down shirt under a brown argyle sweater vest, a Rolex watch on his left wrist, and black horn-rimmed glasses on his face. His tail was in alternating light and dark blue stripes. This obviously was Zooli's father, who went by the name of Jonny.

"Oh, hi, Dad." said Zooli.

"Hiya, Zooli." said Jonny, who then saw Freddi. "Hello, Freddi."

"Hi, Mister Jonny." said Freddi.

Jonny chuckled.

"Please, just call me "Jonny"." said Jonny.

"Oh, okay." said Freddi.

"Well, dinner's here and waiting." said Jonny. "So get washed up and meet me downstairs."

"Yes, sir!" said Zooli, her brothers, and Freddi.

With that, they all washed their hands/fins and went downstairs to dinner. In addition to the beef and broccoli for Zooli and the sweet and sour chicken for Freddi, Jonny had gotten chicken lo mein for Elliot, pork lo mein for Greg, beef lo mein for David, and Schezuan chicken for himself. While they ate, Greg turned on the TV to _How It's Made_.

"What's this?" Freddi asked. "I've never seen this before."

"How It's Made." said David. "It's pretty self-explanatory."

"Let me guess." said Freddi. "It shows you how stuff is made?"

"Yup." said Zooli.

After dinner, and after the show ended, Zooli took Freddi upstairs to her room, which was painted neon pink and had a loft bed as well as a 20-inch flat screen TV mounted on the wall and an en-suite bathroom and playroom.

"Nice room." said Freddi as she rolled out her sleeping bag.

"Thanks." said Zooli.

Soon, Freddi was all set, and the two played in the playroom. While they were playing, Freddi heard "Your Love" by The Outfield being played.

"Where's that coming from?" Freddi asked.

"Probably my brothers playing Rock Band 4 again." said Zooli. "That's their favorite song to play on that game."

"Nice." said Freddi. "Can we go see?"

"Sure." said Zooli.

With that, the two went to Elliot, Greg, and David's room, which just so happened to be next to Zooli's, and sure enough, there they were, playing "Your Love" on _Rock Band 4_, with Elliot playing the guitar part, Greg playing the bass part, and David playing the drum part. In no time, they were finished, and Zooli and Freddi clapped.

"That was great, as always." said Zooli.

"Yeah. Good song, too." said Freddi.

"Thanks." said Greg.

"Wanna go back to my room now, Freddi?" Zooli asked.

"Sure." said Freddi.

With that, the two girls went back to Zooli's room while the triplets continued playing their game. When Freddi and Zooli got back in Zooli's room, they sat on the floor.

"So, what do you wanna do now?" asked Zooli.

"How about a movie?" asked Freddi.

"Sure." said Zooli. "I'll go make us some popcorn."

Zooli then went downstairs, and soon came back with a big bowl of popcorn.

"Now, what movie do you want to watch?" asked Zooli. "I'll take whatever you throw at me. Well, at least as long as it's rated G."

Freddi then spotted an Amazon Echo Dot smart speaker on Zooli's dresser.

"What's that?" she asked.

"Oh, that's my Amazon Echo Dot." said Zooli. "It's connected to the TV."

"Oh, cool." said Freddi. "How does it work?"

"Well, you just say "Alexa", and tell her to play the movie you want to watch." said Zooli.

"Alright." said Freddi, who turned to the speaker. "Alexa, play Toy Story."

"Okay." said the speaker. "Playing Toy Story."

"Nice choice." said Zooli.

Soon, Toy Story was playing on the TV. After the movie ended, the girls decided to call it a night. The next morning, after breakfast, Mr. Grouper arrived to take Freddi home.

"So, did you have fun?" asked Mr. Grouper as they drove home.

"I sure did!" said Freddi. "I hope to do something like that again!"

"Trust me, sweetie, you will." said Mr. Grouper.

**End Of Chapter 4**


	5. Mama Grouper & Freddi's Birthday Party

**Chapter 5: Mama Grouper & Freddi's Birthday Party**

The next day, Freddi woke up to the smell of something cooking.

"What's that smell?" Freddi asked.

She grabbed Nero, her stuffed seal (but you might know that already), and followed the scent downstairs, which she soon discovered to be Mr. Grouper making pancakes for breakfast.

"Good morning, Daddy." said Freddi.

"Good morning, buttercup." said Mr. Grouper. "I'm making pancakes, as you can see."

Freddi licked her lips.

"Sounds yummy." said Freddi.

Soon, the pancakes were ready, and as they were eating, the telephone suddenly rang.

"I'll get it." said Mr. Grouper.

Mr. Grouper went over to the phone and answered it.

"Hello?" he said.

On the other end of the line was Mr. Grouper's mother, Mama Grouper.

"Hello, son." she said.

"Oh, hi, Ma." said Mr. Grouper. "How are you doing?"

"Fine." said Mama Grouper. "You?"

"Better than before." said Mr. Grouper. "In fact, I have someone I'd like you to meet."

"Is that so?" asked Mama Grouper.

"Yeah." said Mr. Grouper. "I'd tell you who it is, but it's a surprise."

"Oh, okay." said Mama Grouper. "Well, I'll see you later."

The two then hung up, and breakfast resumed.

"Who was that, Daddy?" Freddi asked.

"Your grandmother." Mr. Grouper. "Would you like to meet her?"

"Oh, yes, please!" said Freddi.

"Alright." said Mr. Grouper. "We'll leave after breakfast."

"Okay!" said Freddi with a smile.

After breakfast, Mr. Grouper and Freddi got into the car and drove to Mama Grouper's house. They soon arrived and went up to the door.

"Do you want to ring the doorbell, Freddi?" Mr. Grouper asked.

"Sure!" Freddi said.

And Freddi did exactly that.

"Come in!" said Mama Grouper from inside the house.

They went inside, and found Mama Grouper knitting.

"Hi, Ma." said Mr. Grouper.

"Hi, Denny." said Mama Grouper. "So, who's this someone you wanted me to meet?"

Mr. Grouper then called Freddi over to his side like he did back in Chapter 3.

"Ma, this is Freddi, your new granddaughter." said Mr. Grouper. "I adopted her from the orphanage recently."

"Aww, that's sweet." said Mama Grouper.

Mama Grouper then turned to Freddi.

"Hi, Freddi." said Mama Grouper.

"H-Hi, Miss Daddy's Mommy." said Freddi.

"You can just call me "Granny"." said Mama Grouper.

"Okay." said Freddi. "Hi, Granny."

Mr. Grouper smiled as his daughter and mother shared a hug. He then heard his cell phone ringing. When he answered, he found it was Miss Fin from the orphanage.

"Angela, what a surprise." said Mr. Grouper.

"Hi, Dennis." said Miss Fin. "I'm calling because there's something I may have neglected to tell you."

"And what's that?" asked Mr. Grouper.

"That today is actually Freddi's birthday." said Miss Fin. "It says so on her birth certificate from the hospital she was born at."

Mr. Grouper was taken completely by surprise by this news.

"It is?" he asked.

"Yes." said Miss Fin. "Why so surprised?"

"I just...oh, never mind." said Mr. Grouper. "Thanks for telling me."

"No problem." said Miss Fin. "Well, I gotta go."

"Alright." said Mr. Grouper. "Thanks again."

He then hung up.

"Who was that, dear?" asked Mama Grouper.

"It was Miss Fin, the caretaker of the orphanage." said Mr. Grouper.

"Oh, nice." said Freddi. "What did she want?"

"Um...I'll tell you later." said Mr. Grouper.

Mr. Grouper then turned to his mother.

"Would you mind looking after her for a while, Ma?" Mr. Grouper asked. "I need to run a few errands."

"Not at all." said Mama Grouper. "Besides, it gives me more time to get to know this little angel."

"Perfect." said Mr. Grouper. "Thanks, Ma."

Mr. Grouper then left, and he called each of the Guppies and their families and told them to meet him at the school. Once everyone was there, he broke the news, and they began planning the party. It was decided that the Guppies would pitch in and make her one big card and have it signed by all of them, then each would buy a present for Freddi. The cake would be a vanilla cake and decorated with sea green and turquoise whipped cream-style icing and decorated with a picture of Freddi on it surrounded by "Happy Birthday, Freddi!" in alternating orange and yellow characters. Oona's mother, Whitney, who just so happened to have baking and decorating cakes as a hobby, volunteered to make it, and since Deema's family was Jewish, it was agreed upon that the party would take place after they got back from their synagogue service, as it was a Saturday. The rest of the Guppy Dads volunteered to help decorate the classroom for the party while the rest of the Guppy Moms helped out with the food as well as games. They soon decided on having pizza be delivered and that they would also have salad and ice cream to go with the cake. While the Guppy Dads (except Deema's, who, along with Deema and her mother, had already gone) and Mr. Grouper got to work decorating the classroom with streamers, balloons, and a "Happy Birthday!" banner, all of which Mr. Grouper had bought from the local Party City store, and the other Guppy Moms (again, except Deema's and Zooli's moms, for very obvious reasons) planned what games were going to be available, Molly, Gil, Goby, Oona, Nonny, and Bubble Puppy all drew a picture of Freddi in the center and themselves, Deema, and Mr. Grouper surrounding her. Once that was done, they went shopping for presents to give to Freddi. They soon came back, and, with help from Mr. Grouper, wrapped them up. Eventually, everything was ready and just as Deema and her family came back, with Deema carrying her present for Freddi, which was already wrapped up, Mr. Grouper got out his phone and dialed Mama Grouper's number. Back at Mama Grouper's house, Freddi was watching the TV show starring 60's pop/rock band The Monkees with Mama Grouper.

"This is such a great show, Granny!" said Freddi. "I'm glad you introduced me to it."

"You're quiet welcome, dearie." said Mama Grouper. "This was my favorite show when I was your age."

"Nice." said Freddi.

Just then, the telephone rang.

"Hello?" Mama Grouper said as she answered.

On the other end was Mr. Grouper.

"Hi, Ma, it's me." he said. "Can you bring Freddi over to the school, please?"

"I can." said Mama Grouper.

"Thanks, Ma." said Mr. Grouper. "And by the way, tell her to close her eyes once you two arrive."

"Alright, I will." said Mama Grouper.

"Thanks." said Mr. Grouper. "Love ya."

Mr. Grouper then hung up.

"Who was that, Granny?" Freddi asked.

"It was your Daddy." said Mama Grouper. "He wants me to bring you over to the school."

Freddi was confused.

"School?" Freddi asked. "But it's Saturday."

"I'm confused too." said Mama Grouper. "But maybe we'll find out once we arrive. And by the way, when we do, he asked me to tell you to close your eyes."

"Okie-doke." said Freddi.

With that, the two went out to Mama Grouper's pink 1957 Chevrolet Belair, and soon arrived at the school, where Freddi closed her eyes as instructed, and Mama Grouper led her inside.

"Can I open my eyes now?" Freddi asked.

"Yes, sweetie, you can." said Mr. Grouper.

Freddi then opened her eyes and saw everything.

"**SURPRISE!**" everyone shouted. "**HAPPY BIRTHDAY, FREDDI!**"

Freddi was surprised.

"Wow!" she said. "I totally forgot today was my birthday!"

"Oh, wow." said Deema. "Forgetting your own birthday? That's new."

Everyone glared at Deema.

"What?" Deema asked.

"Anyways, let's start with singing "Happy Birthday" to Freddi." said Mr. Grouper.

He then lit the candles on the cake and everyone sang. After Freddi blew out the candles, they started giving out the presents, starting with Molly, and when Freddi opened Molly's present, she found a boxed set of Nancy Drew books.

"Nice!" said Freddi. "I love mystery stories! Thanks, Molly!"

"No problem." said Molly.

After Molly came Gil, and when Freddi opened Gil's present, she found a stuffed walrus.

"Oh, cool!" said Freddi. "Now Nero can have a friend! Thanks, Gil!"

Gil winked. After Gil was Goby. When Freddi opened Goby's present, she found a Silly 6 Pins game.

"What's this?" Freddi asked.

"Silly 6 Pins." said Goby. "It's basically like a talking bowling set. The pins say silly things."

"Nice." said Freddi. "Thanks, Goby."

"Ah, don't mention it." said Goby.

Next to give their present to Freddi was Deema, and when the former opened the present from the latter, she found a tub of Tinkertoys.

"Nice." said Freddi. "I can already imagine what I can do with these. Thanks, Deema."

"No sweat." said Deema.

Next was Oona, whose present to Freddi was a plush doll of Snoopy from the _Peanuts_ franchise.

"Aww, so cute!" said Freddi. "Thanks, Oona!"

"You're welcome!" said Oona.

It was Nonny's turn after Oona, and his present was a Rubik's Cube, which Freddi had never seen before.

"What's this, Nonny?" Freddi asked.

"It's a Rubik's Cube." said Nonny. "It's a puzzle. I have a cousin who collects these things and similar toys. I actually brought one with me."

He then took out his own Rubik's Cube and twisted it onto a checkerboard pattern.

"See, the idea is to twist the sides of a the cube to scramble it up, then try to unscramble it so that each side has three rows of squares that are all the same color." said Nonny as he explained.

"Ooh, nice." said Freddi.

Zooli was next, and when Freddi opened Zooli's present, she found a _Kidz Bop Sings The Beatles _CD.

"I thought I'd get you something related to The Beatles because that's the first band my Dad introduced me and my brothers too." said Zooli.

"Nice choice." said Freddi.

Then, the Guppies gave Freddi the picture they had made. Seeing it made Freddi's eyes fill up.

"Aww, come here." Mr. Grouper said.

Mr. Grouper then hugged Freddi, who started crying.

"Aw, Freddi, don't cry!" said Molly, who started tearing up herself. "You're gonna make me cry!"

But then, Molly herself started crying, as did Oona, then Nonny. Gil, Goby, Deema, and Zooli just smiled and gave them a group hug. Soon, they calmed down, and everyone gathered in a big group. Goby's father, Ryan, who worked as a photographer, got out his camera.

"Alright, everyone, say "Cheese!"!." said Ryan.

"Cheese!" everyone said.

Ryan then took the picture. The scene then showed Mr. Grouper and Freddi hanging the picture, which was now framed, on the wall, next to a "Home Sweet Home" sign.

"There we are." said Mr. Grouper. "So, Freddi, what did you think of your birthday?"

"I loved it." said Freddi. "My presents were awesome, and that cake was delicious! I can hardly wait til my next birthday! Maybe next year, can we have it here?"

Mr. Grouper smiled.

"Of course we can." said Mr. Grouper.

Just then, Freddi yawned.

"Sleepy?" Mr. Grouper asked.

Freddi nodded.

"Well, off to bed with you then." said Mr. Grouper.

Mr. Grouper then took Freddi to bed and read her "There's A Wocket In My Pocket!" by Dr. Seuss.

"Goodnight, Freddi." said Mr. Grouper. "I love you."

"Goodnight, Daddy." said Freddi. "I love you too."

Mr. Grouper then kissed Freddi on the head and left the room, and as Freddi slept, happy thoughts of her new life with her new adopted father raced through her mind.

**The End**


End file.
